Carriage-release mechanism for wire looms



Feb. 7, 1928. 1,658,091

M. MERTENS CARRIAGE RELEASE MECHANISM FOR WIRE LOOMS Filed May 4, 1927 220x Merfens,

Patented Feb. 7, 1928.

rise STATES MAX MERTENS, NEVIGES, GERMANY.

CARRIAGE-RELEASE MECHANISM FOR WIRE LOOMS.

Application filed May 4,1927, Serial No. 188,629, and in Germany Maya, 1926.

An object of the invention is to provide im'provementsin wire looms broadly, but more specifically to provide an improved means for releasing the wire carriagefrom the driving or propelling chain.

It has been customaryin all known devices of this character to withdraw the wire from within the cloth by means of a con tinuously running endless link chain, or the like, the connection between the wire carriage and the chain being effected by means of a hook which is engaged by a link of the driving chain, or an extension from such link. i

In such construction, the wire carriage is generally released from the chain, so that the hook attached to the wire carriage is permitted to strike against a relatively fixed point, so that said hook is removed from the path of the chain and its individual links, said chain continuing to run without interruption.

In this operation, the moment of disengagement of the hook from the chain, while the latter continues its course in a substan tially horizontal direction, becomes uncertain and diflicult to adjust or determine, due to ordinary wear of the cooperating portions of the hook and that portion of the chain engaged thereby, with the result that the definite, predetermined, exact operation of the loom is always liable to be seriously hampered.

An object of the present invention therefore is to overcome this inherent difliculty in a most simple manner, in fact by a con- 7 struction which is more simple than the ordinary arrangement heretofore used, the invention availing itself of the fact that the link of the chain, and any projection therefrom, when passing the idler or other wheel about which it alters its course at one end of its normal rectilinear movement, naturally moves downwardly and out of the rectilinear path of movement of the wire carriage.

In this way the chain link, or a projection therefrom automatically releases the hook of said carriage at the correct position, and this position may be prearranged and at all times maintained by resetting the position of the said idler, end roller, or sprocket wheel, with respect to the limit of movement of the wire carriage.

The essential details of the construction of a device, embodying one form in which the invention can be arranged, is shown in the accompanying drawing, which illus trates in fragmentary, detail the relative movements, positions, and other charact ristics, of that portion of a wire-loomin which the invention is incorporated.

, Referring to the drawing, the usual endless driving or propelling chain 1, includ ing spaced teeth 2, having projections 3, passes continuously and uninterruptedly over the idler, sprocket wheel, or roller a. The left-hand end portion of the illustration shows in dotted-lines a working position of the wire carriage 5, which has a depending shoulder (i, engaged by the projection 3 01' a link 2, said carriage also being provided with an upwardly extending lug 7. In the operation of the device, the chain propels the wire carriage in the direction of the arrow through the dotted-line position and into the full-line position shown at the right-hand side of the illustration, at which point the lug 3 of a link 2 in commencing to pass angularly around the periphery oi the idler roller i, also is removed from the rectilinear path of the shoulder 6 so that said shoulder 6 becomes automatically disengaged :from the projection 3 of the chain link.

Furthermore, at this point of movement of the Wire carriage, a latch 8, under the influence of a spring 9, engages the lug 7 and thereby prevents the immediate release of the wire carriage, said latch being pivotally carried by any relatively stationary portion 10 of the loom. Thereafter, it is possible to permit the release of the wire carriage so that it can move in the opposite direction by drawing the wire or rope 11 and in the usualmanner oscillating a lever 12 connected to and adapted to shift said latch out of engagement with said lug 7 This operation is thereafter repeated at regular intervals in predetermined cycles which are in accord with the distance between consecutive links 2 with their respective projections 3 and the release of the latch 8 and other operations of the device being the same as has been already practiced in wire looms.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A mechanism for releasing the wire carriage from the actuating chain in wire looms, which comprises an. actuating chaln having a given link, an idler around which said chain passes at one end of a rectilinear path of movement, a Wire carriage in en gagement With and moved by said link throughout its said path of movement, and the movement of said link from said path angularly around said idler being operative to automatically release said carriage to per init its subsequent movement in the reverse direction.

2. The combination of the mechanism of claim 1, with a latch operative to restrain said carriage to temporarily prevent its moven'ient in the reverse direction.

3. A mechanism "for releasing); the Wire carriage from the actuating chain in Wire looms, which comprises an actuating chain havin a iven link an idler around which said chain passes at one end of a rectilinear path otmovement, a Wire carriage in engagement With and moved by said link throughout its said path of movement, and

themovement of said link from said path angularly around said idler being operative to automatically release said carriage to permit its subsequent movement in the reverse direction, in combination with a latch operative to restrain said carriage to temporarily prevent its movement in the reverse direction, and with means to release said latch to permit the movement of said carriage in the reverse direction, after adefinite lapse of time following the release or said carriage by said chain link.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

- MAX MERTENS. 7 

